Je veux savoir à propos de…

43995

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 11, 2021 / Notices and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information e.g., name, address, etc., confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments enter N/A in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chris Fanning, NMFS, West Coast Region, 5629804198.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DSBG
fishing trials have occurred for the past 11 years 20112015, research years;
20152021, EFP years in the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ
off California. The data collected from this fishing activity have demonstrated DSBG to achieve about a 95 percent marketable catch composition. Nonmarketable catch rates have remained low and all non-marketable catch were released alive. Due to DSBG being actively tended, strikes are capable of being detected within minutes of a hooking on the line; as a result, all catches can be tended quickly, with catch brought to the vessel in good
condition. To date, DSBG has had five observed or reported interactions with protected species, four Northern elephant seals and one loggerhead sea turtle, which were not seriously injured and were released alive due to the quick strike detection of the gear. Northern elephant seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and loggerhead sea turtles are protected by the Endangered Species Act.
DSLBG trials have produced similar data to DSBG activities. Swordfish and other marketable species have represented about 90 percent of the catch. Non-marketable species are released alive due to DSLBG quick strike detection and active gear tending.
To date, there have been no observed or reported interactions with protected species using DSLBG.
At its June 2021 meeting, the Pacific Fishery Management Council Council received ten applications for EFPs in time for review and recommended that NMFS issue seven of these EFPs to authorize use of DSBG and/or DSLBG
see Table 1, and recommended further Council consideration of the remaining three EFP applications at its September 2021 meeting. Council recommendations can be found on the
June 2021 meeting Decision Document here, https www.pcouncil.org/june2021-decision-document/HMS.
At this time, NMFS is requesting public comment on the seven DSBG EFP
applications recommended by the Council in June 2021. NMFS will take the Councils comments into consideration along with public comments on whether or not to issue these EFPs. If all seven of the June 2021
Council recommended applications are approved, a total of 52 vessels would be allowed to fish with permitted exemptions from the prohibitions related to unauthorized fishing gears used to target swordfish within the U.S.
EEZ under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for HMS FMP throughout the duration of their respective EFPs. Thirty-seven of the vessels would be permitted to fish with DSBG only and 15 of the vessels would be permitted to fish using both DSBG and DSLBG. Aside from the exemption described above, vessels fishing under an EFP would be subject to all other regulations implemented in the HMS FMP, including measures to protect sea turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds.

TABLE 1SUMMARY OF DEEP-SET BUOY GEAR EXEMPTED FISHING PERMIT APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDED AT THE JUNE
2021 COUNCIL MEETING
Number of vessels
F.3 attachment No.

Applicant name
1
3
5
6
7
8
10

Austin and Robert Ashe
Austin Brown
Miguel Ferre
Scott and Wyatt Hawkins
Blake Hermann
Markus Medak, Brian Sims, and Daniel Fuller
Mathew Rimmel

Fishing method 1
1 1
1 1
1 1

StandardDSBG.
Standard and Linked DSBG.
Standard DSBG.
Linked DSBG.
Standard DSBG.
Linked DSBG.
Standard DSBG.

jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES

Linked DSBG vessels can also use standard deep-set buoy gear https www.pcouncil.org/june-2021-briefing-book/F.

NMFS will consider all public comments submitted in response to this Federal Register notice prior to issuance of any EFP. Additionally, NMFS has analyzed the effects of issuing DSBG
and DSLBG EFPs in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and NOAAs Administrative Order 2166, as well as for compliance with other applicable laws, including Section 7a2 of the Endangered Species Act 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq., which requires the agency to consider whether the proposed action is likely to jeopardize the continued existence and recovery of any endangered or threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

VerDate Sep<11>2014

23:05 Aug 10, 2021

Jkt 253001

Dated: August 6, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
FR Doc. 202117147 Filed 81021; 8:45 am BILLING CODE 351022P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RTID 0648XB301

East Coast Fisheries of the United States; Public Meetings; Request for Comments National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS, National Oceanic and
AGENCY:

PO 00000

Frm 00008

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

Atmospheric Administration NOAA, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
Several fishery management bodies on the East Coast of the Atlantic Ocean are convening three public webinars to introduce a project called East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning. This is a joint effort of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission ASMFC, the New England Fishery Management Council NEFMC, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council MAFMC, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council SAFMC, and NOAA Fisheries.
These webinars will introduce stakeholders to the overall initiative, present draft objectives, discuss potential outcomes, explain the general
SUMMARY:

E:FRFM11AUN1.SGM

11AUN1